NASA Logo

NTRS

NTRS - NASA Technical Reports Server

Collections About News Help Login
Back to Results
Does Vesta Have Moons?: Dawn's Search for SatellitesUpon approach to asteroid 4 Vesta, the Dawn mission included a dedicated satellite search observation of the operational sphere of the spacecraft around Vesta. Discovery of moons of Vesta would constrain theories of satellite f()rmation. The sequence using the framing camera and clear filter includes three mosaics of six stations acquired on July 9-10. 2011. Each station consists of four sets with three different exposures, 1.5,20 and 270 s. We also processed and scanned the optical navigation sequences until Vesta filled the field of view. Analysis of images involves looking for moving objects in the mosaics and identifying catalogued stars, subtracting them from the image and examining residual objects for evidence of bodies in orbit around Vesta. Celestial coordinates were determined using Astrometry.net, an astrometry calibration service (http://astrometry.net/use.html). We processed the images by subtracting dark and bias fields and dividing by a Hatfield. Images were further filtered subtracting a box car filter (9x9 average) to remove effects of scattered light from Vesta itself. Images were scanned by eye for evidence of motion in directions different from the background stars. All objects were compared with Hubble Space Telescope's Guide Star Catalogue and US Naval Observatory's UCAC3 catalog. We report findings from these observations and analysis, including limits of magnitude, size and motion of objects in orbit around Vesta. We gratefully acknowledge modifications made to Astrometrica http://www.astrometrica.at/ for purposes of this effort.
Document ID
20110020800
Acquisition Source
Goddard Space Flight Center
Document Type
Abstract
Authors
McFadden, L. A. (NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD, United States)
Sykes, M. V. (Planetary Science Inst. Tucson, AZ, United States)
Tricarico, P. (Planetary Science Inst. Tucson, AZ, United States)
Carsenty, U. (Deutsche Forschungsanstalt fuer Luft- und Raumfahrt Berlin, Germany)
Gutierrez-Marques, P. (Max-Planck-Inst. fuer Sonnensystemforschung Lindau, Germany)
Jacobson, R. A. (California Inst. of Tech. Pasadena, CA, United States)
Joy, S. (California Univ. Los Angeles, CA, United States)
Keller, H. U. (Max-Planck-Inst. fuer Sonnensystemforschung Lindau, Germany)
Li, J.-Y. (Maryland Univ. MD, United States)
McLean, B. (Space Telescope Science Inst. Baltimore, MD, United States)
Memarsadeghi, N. (NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD, United States)
Mottola, S. (Deutsche Forschungsanstalt fuer Luft- und Raumfahrt Berlin, Germany)
Mutchler, M. (Space Telescope Science Inst. Baltimore, MD, United States)
Nathues, A. (Max-Planck-Inst. fuer Sonnensystemforschung Lindau, Germany)
OBrien, D. (Planetary Science Inst. Tucson, AZ, United States)
Palmer, E. (Planetary Science Inst. Tucson, AZ, United States)
Polanskey, C. (California Inst. of Tech. Pasadena, CA, United States)
Sierks, H. (Max-Planck-Inst. fuer Sonnensystemforschung Lindau, Germany)
Rayman, M. D. (California Inst. of Tech. Pasadena, CA, United States)
Raymond, C. A. (California Inst. of Tech. Pasadena, CA, United States)
Russell, C. T. (California Univ. Los Angeles, CA, United States)
Schroeder, S. (Max-Planck-Inst. fuer Sonnensystemforschung Lindau, Germany)
Skillman, D. (NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD, United States)
Weinstein-Weiss, S. (California Inst. of Tech. Pasadena, CA, United States)
Date Acquired
August 25, 2013
Publication Date
December 5, 2011
Subject Category
Astronomy
Report/Patent Number
GSFC.ABS.5069.2011
Meeting Information
Meeting: AGU Fall Meeting 2011
Location: San Francisco, CA
Country: United States
Start Date: December 5, 2011
End Date: December 9, 2011
Sponsors: American Geophysical Union
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Public Use Permitted.

Related Records

There are no records associated with this record.
No Preview Available